3 arrested in connection with death of 17-year-old who refused marriage
The National Police Service (NPS) on Saturday, March 29, 2025, confirmed the arrest of three persons of interest following the tragic death of a 17-year-old, Gaala Aden Abdi.
In a statement, the NPS spokesperson, Muchiri Nyaga, stated that the three were apprehended after residents of Wajir County, where the incident occurred, shared information with the law enforcement officers.
NPS revealed that among those in custody was the purported husband-to-be whom Gaala was expected to be married to, but she declined.
“The National Police Service wishes to confirm to the public that following the tragic death of a 17-year-old “child bride”, the police were able to move with speed and apprehend three main suspects, amongst them the purported “husband to the child,” NPS statement read in part.
Condemns the incident
While promising to get to the bottom of the matter, police condemned the incident where the deceased was burnt beyond recognition over claims that she refused to be married to a 55-year-old.
Police asked Kenyan communities to avoid practicing harmful cultural practices such as child marriage.
“While investigators have to be allowed without prejudice to piece together all the circumstances that led to this most tragic death, NPS deeply regrets this death and condoles with the family of the victim while asking the wider Kenyan community to desist from harmful cultural practices while letting children be just that: children.
“The three suspects are expected to appear in court imminently after being processed. We would also wish to thank all persons of goodwill who were able to widely share leads that culminated in the arrest of the three suspects,” the NPS statement added.
Criticism
The incident had sparked criticism from various players in the country. The National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC) and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) were among the bodies that condemned the tragic incident where Gaala was burned beyond recognition in Wajir County for resisting a forced marriage to a 55-year-old man.
The gender commission called for a thorough and swift investigation into the murder, terming it a flagrant violation of the teenager’s rights, which encompass child rights, women’s rights and the rights of refugees.
Other Kenyans also created hashtags, and others took to the streets to demand justice. This came at the wave of increased cases of femicide in the country. The Cabinet approved the formation of a body to help address the rising cases of women being killed in the nation.
